Improvement in wagon-brakes



GEORGE. M. BENNETT.

Improvement in Wagon Brakes.

" No. 119,736, Pmmd on. 10, 1871'.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE M. BENNETT, OF BURLINGTON, IOWA.

IMPROVEMENT IN WAGON-BRAKES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 119,736, dated October 10, 1871.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE M. BENNETT, of Burlington, in the county of Des Moines and State of Iowa, have invented a certain Improvementin Wagon-Brakes; and l do\hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, which, together with the letters and figures marked thereon, form part of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a wagon fitted with my invention. Fig. 2 is a bottom-plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is an enlarged side View of the vibrating quadrant, and Fig. 4 an enlarged bottom-plan view of the sliding plate.

Like letters of reference made use of in the several figures indicate like parts.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe the same with particularity, making use in so doing of the aforesaid drawing.

A are the wheels, B the axles, G the reach, and D the tongue of an ordinary wagon. E is a brake-bar lying across and upon the reach, just in front of the hind-wheels, held in place by guide-staples 6, attached to the upper surface of the reach, so that said bar may move freely back and forth, sliding upon the reach. The brakeshoes are attached to the ends of this bar in such a manner as to come against the tire of the hind Wheels when the bar is brought back. F is a double bell-crank lever, having its fulcrum in the reach. The ends of this lever are connected to the brake-bar and to a rod, G, which passes forward below the reach and connects with a short rod, H, which passes through the front axle and connects in turn with a rod, I, extending to the front end of the wagon-tongue, Where it is attached to a pivoted quadrant, J, standing vertically in a slot in the end of the tongue. The

rod I is attached to the said quadrant at its lowest point i when standing perpendicular. At the opposite point j is attached a chain or link, connecting the neck-yoke to the quadrant in such a manner that when the horses pull back upon the yoke, as in case of descending a hill, the quadrant is revolved upon its pivot so as to pull forward the rod under the tongue and reach and operate the lever and bar to bring the brake-shoes firmly against the Wheel. The quadrant J, so called, has offsets or notches m m, one upon each side, and a sliding plate, M, is affiXed to the under side of the tongueby means of rivets or bolts passing through slots in said plate. This sliding plate is so placed and arranged that when the quadrant is turned sufficiently in either direction to disclose one of the offsets the said plate may be moved in to engage or catch the offset and retain the quadrant in the manner of a ratchet. A rod, a, passes from this sliding plate along beneath the tongue to a point near its base, where said rod connects to a lever, N, passing through the tongue, and pivoted thereto.

This lever is convenient to the driver, and by means of it he can readily lock the brake or prevent the weight of the horses from being exerted.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. The combination and arrangement of the brake-bar E, lever F, rods G H I, tongue D, and quadrant J, substantially as specified.

2. The combination of the quadrant J, sliding plate M, rod n, and lever N, as specified.

GEORGE M. BENNETT.

Witnesses A. (l. SALES, 

